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Right to Protection Experts Present Research on Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness in Ukraine on Its Path to EU Membership

June 18, 2026

EU human rights standards, including those related to statelessness, are becoming increasingly important for Ukraine on its path towards European Union membership. One of the key accession requirements is full compliance with human rights standards in accordance with the third Copenhagen criterion applicable to candidate countries.

Against this backdrop, examining the EU's legal approaches to nationality and statelessness, as well as assessing the alignment of Ukraine's national legislation with these standards, is of significant practical importance. The Right to Protection has conducted the research study "Prevention and Reduction of Statelessness in Ukraine on the Path to EU Membership".

The study aims to identify areas of convergence and divergence between Ukraine's legal framework on statelessness and the relevant EU legal framework, providing recommendations for harmonising Ukrainian legislation in this field with the relevant EU acquis.

Particular attention is devoted to the best practices of EU Member States, the consideration of which may help strengthen Ukraine's legal framework, facilitate the effective implementation of necessary reforms, and prevent potential legal gaps.

The study also identifies the most challenging aspects of Ukraine's legislation on statelessness, particularly in light of the country's international human rights obligations. Addressing these issues is of particular importance for Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

To achieve its objectives, the study examines:

• the international legal framework for the protection of stateless persons and the prevention and reduction of statelessness;
• the legal instruments of the Council of Europe, including the case law of the European Court of Human Rights;
• the relevant EU acquis related to statelessness, including the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union;
• national legislative approaches adopted by EU Member States and selected candidate countries, with a particular focus on best practices that could be incorporated into Ukraine's legal framework.

The study is based on a comprehensive analysis of international treaties on statelessness, including those adopted within the framework of the United Nations and the Council of Europe, the EU Treaties and secondary legislation, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union, soft law instruments — particularly UNHCR recommendations — as well as the legislation and judicial practice of EU Member States, selected candidate countries, and Ukraine.

The full text of the study is available here:

Read the full report